


tale as old as time

by georgiehensley



Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017), Cinderella (2015), Maleficent (2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Cinderella Fusion, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Enchanted (2007) Fusion, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Animal Transformation, Babies, Baking, Bathing/Washing, Bathtubs, Beaches, Cake, Character Study, Comfort, Crossdressing, Crossover Pairings, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Ficlet Collection, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Implied Relationships, Insecurity, Jealousy, Leather Jackets, Lesbian Character, Love Bites, M/M, Mornings, Multi, Mutual Pining, Nudity, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parenthood, Polyamory, Possessive Behavior, Post-Movie(s), Pre-Movie(s), Prom, Rejection, Sharing Clothes, Sick Character, Slow Dancing, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-07 19:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 8,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11065605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/georgiehensley/pseuds/georgiehensley
Summary: a collection of fics for the batb fanwork celebration.





	1. morning - belle/adam(/gaston)

**Author's Note:**

> yes, i have decided to join in the month-long batb fanwork celebration for the month of june. honestly, the timing worked out quite well - i get to write fic for my favorite movie during my birth month, in which i'm also graduating! yay! :)
> 
> anyway, enjoy the fics. don't worry if day one isn't exactly the (poly)ship you like, there will be plenty more ships to come throughout the month. ;)

when belle awakens the next morning surrounded by warmth, she feels content. her eyes fall open, squinting to adjust to the bright sunlight, and she takes in her surroundings. to her right, adam sleeps peacefully, blond locks falling into his face. belle can’t help the soft giggle she lets out at the sight, brushing his hair out of his face and tucking some of it behind his ear. to her left, gaston too remains asleep, except her snores - a bit loudly, at that. (belle wonders how she was able to sleep the whole night next to him.) that too makes her chuckle as she turns over, watching him sleep for a moment before shaking her head. _oh, gaston_ , she thinks, _still loud even in his sleep_.

she chooses to sit up then, figuring it’d be best if she leave her men alone and instead find a quiet spot to read before she starts her day. but as she attempts to climb out of bed, she hears a stirring next to her.

“where are you going?” adam asks, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“just going to find a quiet place to read,” belle answers, followed promptly by a loud snore from gaston. adam laughs softly.

“care to join me?” belle asks now. adam smiles.

“i would love to.”

it isn't long before the two, now dressed (well, partially - belle is in one of adam’s dress shirts and her panties while adam just has his boxers on), are sitting in the living room. adam’s head is in belle's lap while she softly reads aloud, mindless running her free hand through his hair, occasionally scratching lightly, to which he gives a content purr. gaston continues to sleep back in the bedroom, but from where belle and adam are sat, his snores can barely be heard.


	2. jealousy - gaston/lefou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry today's fic is so short, but on the plus side - i was bound to write a fic about the Bite Mark™ at some point, right? :)

“ _gaston!_ ” lefou all but screams as the other man bites down on the soft, sensitive skin of his stomach, sucking hard enough to leave a mark. 

“there,” gaston says when he pulls off with a loud, wet sound, smiling as he admires his work, running his thumb over the reddened circle decorating his friend's skin. “now everyone will know who you belong to.” he smirks as he glances up at lefou, who stares back at him with half-lidded eyes. before the shorter man can comment on how, exactly, he belongs to gaston when they aren't officially an item, his thoughts are cut off by gaston bringing his mouth down further south, forcing lefou’s eyes to fall shut as a warm pleasure once again overcomes him.


	3. midnight - adam/kit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> an au where adam gets 24 hours as a human to find love before he must return to his beastly form. he uses this time to go to a nearby masquerade ball.
> 
> or, an adam-as-cinderella au.

“oh, no,” adam breathes out in a whisper as he hears the clock chime twelve. he glances back at the handsome prince who stands in front of him, blue eyes opening once again from where they’d previously fallen shut, the other man having prepared to share a kiss with this beautiful stranger.

“i have to go,” adam says quickly, not giving the other man a chance to say goodbye before he dashes off.

“wait!” he hears him call out. adam only picks up the pace, not wanting to hear the other man’s footsteps as they likely echo against the walls of the castle.

the world moves in a blur as adam makes his way to the exit. the stairs become almost dizzying as he runs down them at an inhumanly fast speed. at one point, one of his shoes slips off, but he can’t be bothered by that - after all, he has a curse to keep hidden.

when he reaches his carriage, lumiere looks at him with both surprise and confusion, having not expected him to run out of the castle.

“it’s after midnight,” adam says simply. Lumiere only nods, needing no further explanation. he’s quick to help adam to his seat before joining cogsworth at the front of the carriage, the older man hitting the reins to get the horses to move.

meanwhile, the handsome prince makes his way to the stairs, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he finds the one lone blue slipper sitting atop the red carpeting. he walks down to that step before picking it up, glancing down at it.

“i will find you,” he says, picking his head up and staring in the direction adam left. “i must.”


	4. bath - cogsworth/lumiere/plumette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **warning(s):** implied nudity
> 
> this chapter is borderline rated "m" because of that (but it's not graphic nudity, of course). would probably still deem it nsfw.

when cogsworth _finally_ reaches his bedroom after a particularly long, tiring day of work, he sighs. just as he’s about to sit down to take his shoes off, he hears soft giggling coming from the connected bathroom. curious, he walks over, softly knocking on the door before entering.

“ _bonjour_ , cogsworth!” lumiere says a bit too cheerfully for cogsworth's taste as he sits in the bathtub. between his legs sits plumette, who smiles warmly at the older man who stares in the doorway, looking far too stunning for someone whose natural curls are tied up in a messy bun. “care to join us?”

“no, thank you,” cogsworth says. “i’m far too old to try and squeeze my way into there with the two of you.”

“then we'll go in last!” lumiere says, already standing. cogsworth gasps and glances away, appalled by lumiere's odd comfort in standing before others naked as the day he was born.

“aw, come on,” he says, and cogsworth is forced to look at him as he tugs on his sleeve. “it's nothing you haven't seen before.” cogsworth only glares at him while plumette giggles in the background, following in lumiere's lead and also climbing out of the bathtub, completely ignoring how exposed she is.

now, lumiere reaches for cogsworth's jacket, edging it down his shoulders and off of him altogether. cogsworth lets him do so, but when he reaches for the buttons of his top, the older man stops him.

“i-i can't,” he says. “i’m too--”

“old?” plumette chimes in, now standing on cogsworth's other side. cogsworth nods. “henri, we have seen all of you before. you're more beautiful than you think you are.”

“agreed,” lumiere adds, a fond smile on his face. cogsworth only frowns.

“you're just saying that,” he says.

“but it is true,” lumiere says, voice going softer as he continues, “we love you, cogsworth. just as much as we love each other.”

“if not more,” plumette adds with a smile. cogsworth sighs.

“alright.”

a few minutes later, and they’ve somehow made it work - cogsworth sitting on one side of the tub with lumiere on the other, and plumette in the middle. though, really, lumiere should be on the other side of the tub, but instead he's joining plumette in crowding cogsworth’s personal space, the two peppering kisses across the man's face and neck to reassure him that they do, in fact, love him.

“thank you,” cogsworth says after a few moments, when plumette and lumiere finally calm down and simply lie their heads against cogsworth's chest and shoulders.

“we love you, you grumpy old man,” lumiere says, to which cogsworth only snickers. “don't ever forget it.” cogsworth smiles.

“i won't.”


	5. leather - lefou/gaston

the weight is slightly heavy on lefou’s shoulders, but not so much that he can’t handle it. he turns his head to the side, breathing in the warming scent of the expensive leather, but also sensing another scent hidden just beneath it. this one he can’t exactly put a label on, other than it smells slightly musky - a rich, manly sort of scent. it’s one that has his toes curling the more he inhales, almost as though he could get drunk on just the scent alone–

“jacques?” a voice to his right says which snaps lefou back to the present, aware of the cool, autumn air hitting his reddened cheeks, as well as the leather jacket that sits on his shoulders, and the handsome brunet who walks beside him. he glances over to find said man’s eyebrows raised, and lefou only feels his blush deepen.

“sorry,” he says. “were you saying something?” the other man is silent for a moment, which sends lefou’s heart racing, but then he laughs, a deep baritone, and lefou lets out a breath he never realized he’d been holding, his momentary mistake now forgotten.


	6. first - lefou/stanley

 

smooth silk sits beneath his fingertips as lefou stands in the moonlight, faint shadow merged with another's as his lips remain occupied. there's a slight sweetness on his tongue, a taste he can't identify aside from the fact that it must be quite sugary. his lips feel slightly sticky, but he doesn't mind, only wishing that said texture can keep him permanently attached to the person who stands in front of him, because frankly, he never wants to leave their side.

a light, hardly noticeable layer of stubble gives a slight scratch against his skin, but again, lefou doesn't mind - it only makes the moment that much more exciting.

but alas, his lungs require a certain amount of air to survive, so lefou has to back away, taking a deep breath before trying to lean back in, chasing that addicting pleasure that came from his previous activity.

before he can recreate the moment, though, he hears soft laughter in front of him, so his eyes fall open once again, finding a pair of brown eyes surrounded by pink staring back at him, and sharp cheekbones decorated by a natural blush.

“i’m sorry, _mon amour_ ,” the man in front of him says, bringing a thumb up to run across lefou's now reddened lips. “i didn't think the lipstick would leave a stain.”

“who cares?” lefou says. “i always wanted to try some makeup myself.” the man in front of him giggles, but does just as lefou wants - pulling him back in so he can kiss those sweet lips once again.


	7. bright - adam/belle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little high school/prom au bc it's that time of year :)

when she walks into the room, all eyes are on her. it may simply be  due to how stunning she looks, but adam knows better - it because of the dress she wears, standing out amongst the crowd in bright yellow. such a color is rare to be seen at such occasion, since most girls tend to go for neutrals or calming blues.

but belle never was like most girls.

as she steps towards her date, she takes that sunshine brightness with her, almost as though she wears a spotlight. beneath the gazes of her peers, she grows a little uncomfortable.

“they're all staring at me,” she mumbles when she meets up with her date, lowering her head as though it’ll keep her hidden from their scrutinizing looks. a hand is lifted up to rest against her cheek, guiding her to glance upwards.

“because you are the most beautiful woman in the room,” adam says with a small smile. he steps in closer to whisper, “they're all jealous of you.” belle giggles softly, a blush forming on her face.

“because i miraculously got the second most popular guy in school as my date?” she suggests. adam laughs.

“no,” he says. “because my date is the prettiest girl in the whole school.” again, belle blushes, but instead of shyly ducking her head, she takes adam by surprise, grabbing him by the collar of his dark blue tux and kissing him, right there in front of the whole school.


	8. hands - adam/belle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **warning(s):** mild smut
> 
> i won't change the rating of this entire series for the one slightly mature fic, but, heads up for that. (blink and you miss it, lol, it's really nothing.)

adam isn't used to this. when he was in his beastly form, all he wanted to do was touch belle - but he couldn't. well, he  _ could _ , but he was afraid to. his hands -  _ paws _ \- had long claws extending from where his fingernails would be, and one wrong move could have sliced right through her skin. 

but now, now he's free to touch her all he wants because those claws are gone. 

and touch her, he will.

mostly, it's casual touches, holding her hand while strolling through the gardens, resting a hand on her knee while they sit together during meals, an arm thrown over her shoulder while they sit in the library and she reads to him as she always used to do. but other times, it's more than that.

it’s fingers running across her face while they kiss, relishing in the feel of her soft skin beneath his own. it's hands splayed across her back when the kisses grow more passionate, threatening to dip even lower. it's holding her legs apart while they're in bed together, his much shorter nails digging ever so slightly into her skin as his head is buried between her thighs.

breaking the curse gave adam a freedom he never before thought he would have wanted back so desperately. now that he has it, he is going to enjoy it as much as he possibly can.


	9. smile - gaston(/lefou)

being the town hero that gaston is, there are several different kinds of smiles he will don from time to time, depending on the situation.

the one he wears most often is that of flirtation - a curl of his lips in a smirk, perhaps showing off his pearly white teeth to turn it into more of a smug grin. it's this kind of smile that causes both women and men to fall in love with him. the bimbettes can't get enough of this smile. belle wishes gaston would put it away.

the next is his heroic smile - a wide grin that shows he's grateful of the attention and admiration he receives from his townspeople, those whom he’s help protect in the war. this smile makes him seem ever the manliest of men, as it is usually followed by a stance in which he has his hands on his waist and chest puffed out, or he holds up a sword or his latest kill, showing off exactly what he's capable of while his peers cheer around him, further boosting his ego.

another smile he will often don is a bit less genuine. when someone has angered him, he will try to keep himself from reaching his breaking point, only forcing himself to smile and try to trick the other person into surrendering. only many times, he will just be pushed further. whenever he's about to crack, his dear friend lefou is there for him, grabbing him and trying to calm him down, urging him to think back to one of the happiest times in his life - the war. it is then that he'll turn back to the person he is arguing with and put on this smile, a wide grin that just doesn't quite reach his eyes. usually, that will get the other party to back off. (on rare occasions, though, it doesn't, and someone ends up with a black eye.)

the last smile is one that hardly anyone sees, as it is reserved for a specific someone. it's a small, hardly noticeable curl of his lips, a smile that does, in fact, reach his eyes despite its subtlety. it's a smile that generally softens his features, making him appear quite fond of what- or whoever is on the receiving end of it. gaston doesn't direct this smile to many people, hence why it's so rare to see it. he does, though, direct it at one short, heavyset man - a man so ignored by everyone despite making up gaston's entire world. even this man hardly ever sees when gaston smiles at him in this way - the one time he does, though, he doesn't have any time to comment on it as his lips instantly become occupied.


	10. sand - adam/phillip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you follow me on tumblr, you'll know that i _love_ brenton thwaites, so don't be surprised if more crossovers are written as apart of this challenge. also, consider potc5 to be inspiration for this - i haven't seen it yet, but brenton being in another high-profile film reestablished my love for him. ~~(and its shown a lot of the beach in the promos, so...)~~

the sand is warm beneath his feet as adam walks out onto the beach, the sun beating down on his already highlighted hair. for a moment, he takes it all in - the cool, ocean breeze, the sound of the waves hitting against the shore, and the salty scent of the water filling his nose. he takes a few steps forward, letting the cool water run over his warming feet. he feels at peace...

until suddenly he finds a hand pressing against his side, feet slipped out from under him as he's pushed onto the soft ground and into the wading water, muddy chunks of sand flying into the air from the impact.

“hey!” he says, glancing around to find the source of this. he hears soft laughter, causing his squinted blue eyes to find a pair of chocolate brown, which light up in amusement. “what was that for?”

“you looked like you needed to cool off,” the other man says simply, before kneeling, straddling adam's waist as his hands move to grip his wrists, pinning him to the ground. adam huffs out a breath from the added weight, to which the other man only giggles again.

“you love me,” he says. adam rolls his eyes.

“we’ll see,” he says, smile tugging on the corner of his lips. the other man only grins before ducking down, pressing his lips to the blond’s. he tastes like the ocean, salty with a hint of sweetness. he's warm, though, tanned skin slightly heated in the sunlight. adam doesn't mind, though. he has cool water against his back and a warm boy in his lap. he couldn't possibly ask for more.


	11. rejection - gaston + belle/ella

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had an idea come to me randomly of belle being a frustrated lesbian and gaston just not getting the hint, so this happened. i expected this day's prompts to mostly be angsty, so i felt it would be a nice change to throw in some humor.

“gaston,” belle says, growing more and more frustrated the longer the boy blocks her path down the bleachers. “i am never going to date you. i like _women_.”

“so do i!” gaston says, almost excitedly. “see? we have something in common!” belle could not roll her eyes any further into her head.

“it's _never_ going to happen,” she says, giving the too-large-to-still-be-in-high-school boy a strong shove, luckily managing to push him out of her way. she quickly makes her way down the stairs before reuniting with ella. she says nothing to her as she wraps an arm around her waist, kissing her on the lips, right there in front of everyone. behind them, they can hear a few guys whistling (probably mostly from their friends adam and kit), but belle doesn't pay them any mind. she pulls back a moment later, only to see ella appearing a little dazed.

“hello to you too,” she says with a smile, and belle feels herself blush at the sudden boldness, before she glances back up the bleachers, looking directly at gaston. she simply raises an eyebrow at him, as if to say, _see? i told you i liked women_. she gives him a small smirk before grabbing ella's hand and dragging her away.

someone in a large beast costume suddenly approaches the bleachers, placing one foot on the bottom step, head tilted in the direction gaston is standing in.

“gaston?” the person says, voice muffled, before taking the head off, brushing a stray lock of brown curls out of his eyes before continuing, “are you okay?”

“i’m fine, lefou,” gaston says, clearing his throat before heading down the stairs. “surely, belle will change her mind at some point.” once on the turf again, he pushes past lefou, leaving the shorter man to shake his head. _i’m in love with an idiot_ , he thinks with a sigh before putting the beast head back on.


	12. dreams - gaston/lefou

**batb 30 days fanwork challenge**

12\. _dreams_

 

at night, gaston dreams of faraway places and people he’s never met. for several nights, his dreams have taken place in the same location - a little town called villeneuve, buried somewhere in the heart of france. he sees himself flirting with a bookworm who wants nothing to do with him while being followed around by a short, sweet man who mimics his every move.

later, though, the dreams become darker, finding this version of himself on the hunt for a wild beast, spitting in the faces of those who dare to argue against his plan. he sees himself shooting this innocent creature, the screams of the kind bookworm ringing through his ears as the surface he stands on crumbles beneath his feet. his last thoughts are of his sweet sidekick and the pain that washed over the man’s face at the sight of his friend consumed by dark desires before the silence of death overcomes him.

the night of that dream, gaston wakes with a start, moon still high in the sky outside his window. a thin layer of sweat coats the bare skin of his chest while his heart hammers inside of him.

he barely gets any more sleep that night, tossing and turning repeatedly until his alarm goes off at promptly five-thirty. he then heads out for his morning run, doing so a bit more slowly than usual, trying hard to keep his mind clear of the haunting feelings of his dream.

he returns and dresses quickly, vowing to stop for coffee on his way to work as he has no idea how he’ll be able to survive the long day ahead without any caffeine running through his veins.

when he steps into the coffee shop, there's already someone else standing at the counter. sighing softly, gaston walks over, simply taking his place in line.

a few minutes later and the man still hasn't moved despite there being a fresh cup of coffee sitting on top of the counter. the barista looks a bit impatient as the man continues to dig through his wallet and pockets.

“i swear i have enough cash,” the man says, though sounding like he's starting to doubt himself. gaston sighs again.

“here, allow me,” he says, stepping around the man to place a five dollar bill on the counter. the man glances up at the sound of his voice, grateful smile appearing on his face.

“thank you,” he says, genuinely meaning it. gaston would smile back, but he's taken aback for a moment. the man looks familiar in a way gaston can't place, before it hits him - _the dreams_. his faithful sidekick, a shorter, heavyset man who would look at him as if he were the sun, or as if gaston were god’s greatest creation. the man whose eyes were rimmed with hurt tears after gaston turned on him, becoming an all out monster with no remorse for his actions. the same man whom he’d drunkenly kissed inside the local tavern, whose lips were just as soft as any woman's, slotting perfectly with his as if the two were meant to kiss all along. the man who had stolen his heart, if only gaston hadn't been so blind to his own feelings.

“um,” the man says now, bringing gaston back to reality, who glances down to see a hand outstretched with his change.

“keep it,” gaston says simply. “you can probably use it more than i can.” the man smiles again, a bit more timidly.

“thank you,” he says, before stepping away from gaston, towards the exit.

“wait,” gaston says, mind drawing a blank when the man’s warm, brown eyes meet his again. “uh, stay for a little while. i, uh, can, um, use more… friends.” the man smiles again, a soft laugh slipping past his lips.

“okay,” he says, and now gaston's the one to smile.

a few minutes later, the two are sitting at a table by the window, sipping on their beverages whilst talking about their lives. gaston finds out that the man’s name is jacques, though his friends have called him “lefou” ever since he struggled through high school french classes (as a result of his dyslexia). he works for a fashion company, though mostly in making the clothes - his friend stanley will often serve as his model before anything is presented.

the more the man goes on about his life, answering all of the questions gaston throws his way, the more gaston grows fond of him, finding a smile tugging on the corners of his lips. the dream version of himself may have been an idiot, letting everything and everyone he cared for go as his ego took control, but this gaston isn't going to let this kind man with a bright smile and an adorable laugh go so easily.


	13. dessert - gaston/lefou

 

the frosting is sweet as it hits lefou's tongue, the soft, sugary vanilla flavor spreading throughout his mouth and just hitting his teeth as he finishes off his first bite of wedding cake. he can't help but let out an instinctive moan, already craving more of the sweetness just after he swallows. his desires are matched by the man sitting next to him, who also lets out soft noises of pleasure as he hurriedly scarfs down the delicious baked good. lefou can't help but laugh at the sight, causing a pair of dark brown eyes to glance up and glare at him. lefou only laughs some more.

“you have a little,” he says, gesturing towards his own lips and nose. gaston promptly licks his lips, only half solving the issue of the frosting that coats his skin. lefou fondly shakes his head before reaching forward with his finger, swiping the remaining frosting off the tip of gaston's nose before momentarily sucking on his finger to clean it off. he thinks little of the action, only realizing how inappropriate it might have been when he glances up again, only to see gaston's eyes widen, growing just a shade darker as his cheeks start to turn red.

“restroom, _now_ ,” he says, placing his half-eaten slice of cake down on the table before standing from his chair. lefou has barely a moment to react before the man is tugging on his sleeve, practically pulling him away. lefou joins in putting his cake down before standing as well, trying not to full-on run as he rushes to keep up with gaston's large strides towards the restroom.

the frosting of the cake may have been sweet, but nothing could ever top the addicting taste of gaston's kiss, one that leaves lefou chasing his lips when the man pulls away momentarily to catch his breath.

“oh, _mon amour_ ,” he says, fondly laughing at the sight of his love yearning for another taste of him. “how you never fail to amuse me.”

“don't we have to make this quick?” lefou asks. “before someone realizes we’re gone?” he looks so innocent and almost frightened at the thought of getting caught, the expression only causing gaston to softly growl, returning to his previous task, pressing his lips to lefou's once more.

their slices of cake grow long forgotten on the table, but lefou would take gaston over wedding cake any day.


	14. blanket - gaston/lefou

 

when gaston sees the infant wrapped in a little blue blanket, his eyes well up with tears. never before in his life did he think he would have this - a loving husband, a safe home, a child to care for. he just never thought he deserved it, that happy life that everyone strived towards. gaston is not a good man, he has done some terrible things - he gets praised as a war hero but all the men he killed in battle have haunted him ever since.

but now, he can put all that aside and start anew, focus on the life he wants to build for himself, and be the man he always wished he could be.

“mr. bordeaux?” the nurse asks him. “would you like to hold your new son?” gaston glances towards lefou, who only smiles and nods, tears in his eyes as well. gaston matches that smile, nodding, before he’s suddenly holding his son - yes, his son - in his arms.

“hello,” he says, glancing down at the little guy. his smile only grows as he watches the boy’s small chest rise and fall with his breaths. gaston can't help but laugh for a moment, in complete awe of the fact that this is real, it's really happening to him - what did he ever do to deserve this?

suddenly, lefou is at his side, an arm wrapped around his waist, attention focused on their little bundle of joy. gaston lets his attention stay on lefou for a brief moment, smiling at the love and awe he sees in his eyes, finding his heart skipping a beat just like it had all those years ago when he notices a lock of hair falling out of lefou's ponytail. gaston has the urge to tuck it back, but considering that his hands are occupied, he decides to let it go - besides, its imperfection makes lefou look even more beautiful, despite him clearly being so tired (gaston is too, though - it was quite a long night).

he glances back down at the baby in his arms, and for once, he feels complete. he has his loving husband by his side and his beautiful son in his arms. gaston simply couldn't ask for more.


	15. tears - gaston/adam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had a slightly different version of this written before, but google drive didn't save most of it, so i had to rewrite it. hopefully it's still good!

 

rain pours down on him, soaking his hair and his skin and his clothes and his _gun_ , as gaston falls to his knees on the castle balcony, memories washing over him like a tidal wave. a beast lies before him, breaths short, each one rattling through him, and while normally gaston would smile at the victory, he only feels regretful as he looks at the dying creature. his eyes fill with tears as he looks into the half-lidded blue eyes that stare back at him.

“i’m so sorry,” he says, barely a whisper. “if only i had remembered sooner, maybe we could have had more time. maybe we could have been happy.” _maybe you wouldn't be dying in front of me_. the beast starts to reach towards him, perhaps in an action of comfort, but just as his chest rises with his next breath, it stops, and the arm falls limp at his side. it's then that gaston just collapses, head falling against the beast’s broad chest, sobs wracking through his body.

“i’m so sorry,” he says, over and over and over again as if his words can somehow fix what just happened in front of him. “i never meant for this to happen. i-- _god_ , if only i _remembered_.” suddenly, he sits up, glancing down directly at the response-less beast. “i love you. i love you more than life itself. please come back to me… _please_.” he reaches down and takes the beast's face in his hands, leaning down and brushing a kiss against his furry forehead. then he slumps back down against the beast’s chest, another sob escaping him.

all of a sudden, he's blinded by a bright, golden light, one which sends him stumbling back, confused as to what is happening. that golden light surrounds the two in wisps that fly through the air, before they just wrap around the beast, lifting his lifeless body off the ground and into the air.

within the cloud of light, a transformation begins to take place. gone are the fur and claws that cover the beast’s large form, instead fading away into the soft skin of a human man. the horns that sit atop his head disappear as well, leaving his handsome face framed by long locks of golden blond hair. soon, the man is returned back onto the ground, right on his feet. in shock, he stares down at his hands, turning them over to check that they're real. turning, he clutches tightly onto his halfway unbuttoned top, fingers just brushing the soft skin of his midsection, no longer hidden beneath layers of fur. he glances down, eyes as blue and bright as ever, at the other man who sits before him, utterly speechless.

“gaston,” the man says, reaching towards the brunet as he pushes himself onto shaky legs. “you saved my life.”

“how is this possible?” gaston says, tentatively taking a few steps towards the man that stands before him, warm and breathing and alive. he hesitates for a moment before reaching towards the man, running his fingertips over the soft hair that falls over one shoulder.

“the curse,” the blond says. “it would only be lifted if… you love me. your love, it broke the spell, it brought me back to life.”

“i… i did this,” gaston says, laughing softly as his eyes rim with tears of joy. “i actually did this.”

“you did,” the blond says. gaston smiles, before closing the distance between the two, pressing his lips to the other man’s, who kisses back with just as much love and passion.

“i love you,” gaston breathes out moments later when they part for air, foreheads pressed together.

“i know,” the blond says, to which gaston laughs. “i love you too.”


	16. memory - lefou/gaston

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> an _enchanted_ au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [inspiration](http://trippsykes.tumblr.com/post/161261200881/biihankaarts-okay-so-i-watched-enchanted-a-few)
> 
> well, the original art gave me the idea for an enchanted au, as i described in the tags. it was only a matter of time before i turned it into a fic.

 

lefou remembers villeneuve. he remembers handsome, dashing princes and their kind-hearted, gentle princesses. he remembers furry little sidekicks, always there to lend a helping hand. he remembers singing at any given opportunity, finding it to be the easiest way to express his feelings.

mostly, he remembers being alone in his room, longing for the day that he would have _his_ happily ever after. he remembers being happy for belle getting hers, but also wanting a taste of what she had - a royal title with a handsome prince-turned-king by his side.

but lefou also remembers falling, and ending up in this city called “new york” where people were rude and mean and cared for nothing but themselves. he remembers meeting gaston, the one person to offer him some kindness, allowing him to stay in his home with him and his son gil. lefou remembers momentarily comparing gaston’s handsome face and charming smile to another prince back home in villeneuve, before letting all thoughts of his former home go for the moment.

lefou remembers saying goodbye, being whisked back in the direction of home by an insistent prince stanley, who thought he was doing exactly as lefou wanted. lefou remembers tears, shed mostly by gil but then by himself a few blocks later. he remembers a look of sorrow washing over gaston's face, with just a hint of jealousy hiding underneath. he remembers vowing to miss gaston the most, and dreading the moment when the two would separate for good.

he remembers reuniting with gaston later at the ball, where stanley was his date and a nice blonde woman named paulette was on gaston's arm. he remembers feeling out of place in stanley's arms, the dance seeming clunky and uncoordinated. he remembers only feeling at home in gaston's arms, and wishing he could stay there forever. he remembers having to leave moments later, tears in his eyes, only to be offered some kindness by a nice old woman who hands him an apple.

next thing he remembers is waking up to gaston's kiss, being told that the man sitting before him was his one true love, and believing every word of it. he remembers agathe appearing out of nowhere, before turning into a dragon and taking gaston from him. he remembers battling her, and winning, sharing another, proper kiss with gaston in the rain on the building's rooftop. he remembers being taken back to gaston's home, _his_ home - _**their**_ home, dried off and settling in with the man in his big, soft, warm bed.

since then, lefou has remembered other little things, like the first time gil called him “papa”, or when he chose a proper name for himself, settling on “jacques”.

now, though, he prefers to stay in the present moment and let all of those past things go. because now, he's happier than he’s ever been, with gaston by his side, the two raising gil together. he has his true love and a family - he simply couldn't ask for more.

_this,_ he thinks, _must be what living in happily ever after looks like._


	17. passion - maurice/mrs. potts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this doesn't tie into the day's prompt as much as i would like (try: not at all, really), but i had an idea and i just stuck with it. hope you like it. (and hope you like the new pairing!)

contrary to popular belief, maurice has loved upon meeting belle’s mother. it was a long, long time ago.

he was still in college, at the time, studying sciences and mathematics, hoping to one day become the most successful inventor in all of france. only, none of the ideas he had were that, well, practical.

it was at a gathering with some of his close friends where he met her, his first true love - poppy. she was a beautiful young blonde woman, always radiating with joy and kindness. she was sweet when maurice first introduced himself, having a warm presence, much like a perfect cup of tea.

it was after that first meeting where things only blossomed further. a first date led to a first kiss, which led to many more after that, and it wasn't long before maurice fell into bed with her - several times, for that matter.

loving her brought a joy back into maurice's life that he hadn't had before, what with all of his failed ideas. she taught him to see the beauty in life, explaining that things’ flaws were what made them unique and beautiful. it was those beliefs she instilled in him that led him to change career paths, instead choosing to become a painter rather than an inventor. (and no matter what he painted, poppy would always tell him that she loved it, and that it was beautiful.)

it was only when things began to grow more serious between the two, with talks of marriage arising more often than not, that they began to grow apart. well, not on their own, really, but as a result of poppy’s father's disapproval. she told maurice about her family's plans for her, about already having a young man named jean picked out for her to marry. maurice grew angry at this, demanding to know why she put this news off for so long, if she was trying to lead him on only to pull the rug out from under him come time for him to propose. she insisted that she always meant to tell him, and was just unsure of the right time.

it was because of that that maurice found himself approaching poppy's father, asking permission to marry his daughter. the man laughed at him, saying that his daughter would never marry a failed inventor (maurice was too intimidated to correct him), and telling him to never set foot in their home again, nor would he ever be allowed to see his daughter again. poppy cried, begging her father to change his mind, saying that she loved maurice and wanted to marry him, but her father wouldn't hear it. poppy at least was able to walk maurice out, the two sharing a tearful last kiss before parting ways for good.

maurice never thought miracles could happen, but that was before he entered the castle of prince adam. he was a late arrival upon the transformation of the castle, as the villagers were already busy in their long-awaited reunions. he shared a tight hug with belle before greeting his soon-to-be son-in-law (who apologized profusely for locking him up in the first place, which started the mess that followed). it was afterwards, when members of the staff and the happy couple fell back into conversation, that maurice found himself glancing over the crowd, only for his gaze to fall onto a familiar sight.

it was poppy, a bit older but still as beautiful as ever, and she was… happy. she had a family now - a loving husband and adorable son, so it appeared. the sight brought a tear to maurice's eye. he wanted to be happy for her, he really did, but the thought of the arranged marriage actually coming to be hurt him a bit, more than he would have liked. suddenly poppy's eyes found his in the crowd, and he could see her appearing to be in shock as well. she excused herself for a moment before pushing through the crowd of villagers, practically running over to where maurice stands, kicking her shoes off on the way.

he nearly toppled over due to the force of her charging him, throwing her arms around him and holding him tightly. he was unable to resist hugging her back, feeling like that young college boy all over again.

“i've missed you so much,” poppy said, pulling back to looking his eyes. she brushed a stray lock of grey - yes, grey… oh, how much time had passed - hair that fell out of his ponytail back, leaning up to leave a kiss against his cheek.

“but your husband,” maurice said when she made like she was about to kiss him on the lips. she sighed.

“it's been an awfully long time since we were last together,” she said, glancing back in the direction of where her husband and son are standing for a moment, before turning back to maurice. “i've missed him deeply, but while he may have forgotten those years, i haven't.” she smiled softly. “i grew out of that love i once had for him. and now fate’s brought you back to me. how can i ever resist that?” maurice smiled himself.

“can't say no to fate,” he said. poppy nodded, leaning up, and maurice meets her halfway, kissing her on the lips. the two may have grown much older over the years, and fallen in love with others, but with each other, they're exactly where they always wanted to be - home.


	18. fruit - stanley/lefou

“what happened in here?” lefou asks as he steps into the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he takes in the sight that lies before him. flour is everywhere, essentially - countertops, walls - it even covers his boyfriend's clothes, face, and hair. at the sound of lefou's voice, said boyfriend picks his gaze up, staring wide-eyed at him.

“i’m so sorry, _mon amour_ ,” he says, rubbing his hands together to attempt to get some of the flour off. “i wanted to surprise you with breakfast, but it turns out baking pastries is harder than it looks.” lefou only giggles and shakes his head, stepping in closer.

“it's the thought that counts,” he says, before his gaze falls on a bowl of strawberries mixed in a red syrup. unable to resist, he sticks his finger into the sticky, sweet mixture, licking the red syrup off of the skin.

“mmm, sweet,” he says, and stanley only laughs, fondly shaking his head. lefou then dips his finger in again, before swiping it across stanley's lips, leaning in to lick it off the skin before it can drip onto the floor. beneath all of the flour, lefou can see stanley blush.

“maybe your hard work doesn't have to go completely to waste,” he says, taking the whole bowl into his hand and turning. glancing over his shoulder, he whispers, “bedroom,” before leaving the room. stanley has just a moment to realize the meaning behind lefou's words and actions before he’s following after the shorter man, rushing to catch up to him, the kitchen mess now long forgotten.


	19. cat - gaston/lefou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've never read any of the harry potter books, so i'm not entirely sure how animagus abilities work. i kinda just made some things up to fill in the gaps. 
> 
> hope this day's entry isn't too cheesy!
> 
> p.s. the day 18 prompt, "fruit", has been stumping me a bit, so i'm going to skip it for now while i try to catch up. (hopefully ao3 can let me slip it right back into the chapter 18 slot when i do get around to writing it!)

when lefou wakes up that morning, he expects for the other side of the bed to be occupied by a little ball of soft, black fur.

what he does not expect is for a large, handsome, strange, naked man to be lying in its place.

“what the--?” he yells, quickly standing from the bed. the man’s startled awake, causing him to roll off of the bed and onto the floor.

“hey, i was trying to--” he begins to say angrily, bolting upright, before his expression softens with realization. “oh shit.”

“who are you and what are you doing in my house?” lefou asks, grabbing the first potential weapon he can find - the TV remote - off of the nightstand.

“i can explain,” the man says, holding his hands up in surrender, feigning his innocence.

“go on,” lefou says. the man sighs.

“you won't believe me, but that stray you picked up off the street last night?” he says. “that was me.” lefou blinks.

“you're insane,” he says, still aiming his remote, though not entirely sure what he plans to do with it.

“it's the truth.”

“how?”

the man sighs. “magic.”

“bullcrap.”

“i’m serious. i have this ability that causes me to transform into a cat whenever i’m under a lot of stress. it just sort of… happens. sometimes i can willingly turn, sometimes i can't control it. that chicken you served me last night was quite good. milk was a little sour, but not terrible.”

lefou sighs, putting his arms down.

“do you believe me?” the man asks.

“maybe,” lefou says. “this is all just--”

“i know,” the man says. “a lot to take in. i understand.” he stands, hands still raised. “i'll just go--”

“no,” lefou cuts him off. “public nudity is a crime, you'll be arrested within seconds.”

“oh, right,” the man says. “do you have any clothes i can borrow?”

* * *

the man actually doesn't leave lefou’s house right away, instead staying for a while, discussing his story over coffee with the shorter man. lefou remains in his pajamas, but the man - gaston, as lefou soon learned his name to be - wears a pair of borrowed sweats, a bit too large on his slim frame, but he doesn't mind.

lefou soon finds himself absolutely fascinated by gaston's story, trying to figure out himself how the transformations work. gaston says it's a mystery to him as well, one that he'll never be able to solve, so it seems.

as the day goes on, and the coffee grows cold, the two now discussing more of their own life stories rather than just gaston's abilities, it is revealed that gaston no longer has a home to go to, as he was previously living off paycheck after paycheck, working as a prostitute as that was the only thing he could do, spending his nights in random hotel rooms with complete strangers. lefou promptly offers up his guest room, telling gaston that he can stay for as long as he needs. gaston is grateful, thanking him several times over.

that night, when lefou's falling asleep, he finds a little dot of black skittering across the floor in his dimly lit room. he only smiles, patting the area next to him. the cat hops right on up, curling into a ball once he's found a comfortable spot to settle into. lefou runs his hand over the soft run.

“it's alright, gaston,” he says. “you can stay here with me until you're more comfortable here.”

when lefou wakes up the following morning, only to find that he's somehow ended up in gaston's arms at some point in the night, he just softly giggles and blushes, turning over and falling back asleep.


	20. sick - adam/belle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not my greatest entry for this challenge, but it satisfies the prompt, so...

in his beastly form, adam never got sick. it’s not that he was immune to illnesses exactly, more that his body then was built in such a way that he was less vulnerable to those sort of germs. his body was covered in fur and almost always warm, allowing him to rarely feel cold when stepping out into the wintry air that surrounded his castle, so his immune system never grew weak enough for him to even have a chance of catching a cold. and besides, he was surrounded by nothing but talking objects - the only thing that could carry around an illness would be himself, and since that didn’t happen, he hardly had a chance of getting sick.

only now that he’s human, and germ-carrying people are all over the place in and around his castle, he’s much more vulnerable to illnesses than ever before.

hence how he ended up here, curled up in bed with an aching head, a sore throat, and a congested nose.

he’s groaning as another series of pulsing strikes through his head, causing him to completely miss the sound of his bedroom door opening and shutting.

“oh, you poor thing,” belle says, pouting as she takes in the sight of her miserable husband. through his haze, he manages to send her a lazy smile.

“belle,” he says, face practically lighting up at the sight of her. “i’m so glad you’re here. i read in a book recently that, um, a certain, uh,  _ favor _ could cure head--why are you laughing?” his eyebrows furrow as his wife laughs, and she can’t help but find his confused expression absolutely adorable.

“because i read the same thing last week,” she says, sitting on the bed and running a hand through adam’s long, sweat-dampened blonde locks. “you only found that book because i left it in here.” adam frowns. “and no, i am not going to have any sort of sex with you when you’re all sick and feverish.”

“but--!” adam tries to argue, but belle only shakes her head, standing to leave the room.

“i’ll get mrs. potts to make you some tea instead,” she says, before stepping out of the room, the door falling shut behind her. once she’s gone, adam sighs, head falling back against the plush pillows. oddly enough, belle’s light petting seems to have weakened his headache a bit anyway.


	21. dance - lefou/gaston

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i usually don't listen to this song unless i'm watching the movie, but it makes me cry every time the scene comes up, so [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DES1GLLVBLw) it is to listen to so you can cry with me.
> 
> (also [here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zlFuLTNAKw) the original scene that gives me the feels every. single. time. you can see where i changed things up a bit.)

dancing with stanley feels… uncoordinated. wrong, really, like every step is one that lefou wasn't supposed to take. he isn't quite sure who's leading here - he expects it to be stanley, but he’s starting to feel like  _ he _ has to take control here. the other man appears to be enjoying himself, though, and despite his own discomfort, lefou feels somewhat satisfied by that.

luckily, though, they are told to switch partners. stanley appears disappointed to have to let lefou go, but it doesn't take long for him to match up with a gorgeous blonde woman who clearly didn't get the memo on the party being an old-fashioned ball, her dress far too short and tight-fitting. 

now alone, lefou briefly thinks that he won't be able to find a new partner in the crowd of people continuing to move and sway to the melody of the music. except then, he finds a pair of familiar, warm brown eyes, and he grows drawn to them, only stopping when he stands just before the other man. gaston smiles, a little twinkle in his eye, before he bows as he's supposed to. lefou smiles right back, curtsying as he knows he's taking on the female role. he hears gaston laugh softly before the two step in even closer. lefou's hand fits right into the one gaston offers him, and when gaston's other hand settles at his waist, lefou finds himself gasping softly. then, he's swept up in the motions, the two following in the path of everyone else.

despite there being so many other people on the dance floor, lefou feels as though it's only the two of them. no one else in the room, in new york, in the world - just him and gaston. even the lead singer sounds as though he's performing just for them.

“ _ so close to reaching that famous happy end, almost believing this one's not pretend _ …”

in his ear, lefou can hear gaston softly singing along, seeming to know every single word. and though it may just be a favorite song of his, lefou can't help but think that gaston is singing the song for him,  _ to _ him, the lyrics written specifically about the two of them.

a moment later and they're both glancing at the clock, the time drawing dangerously close to midnight, just twenty minutes now. the two know that lefou really must get going now, though neither seems to want to be the one to take that first step to separate them. lefou is the one to do it, tears beginning to form in his eyes. he starts to step towards the stairs where stanley is waiting for him, his hand still holding gaston's. the two hold onto each other for as long as they can, until the distance is just too much and lefou's fingertips slip from the other man’s hold.

lefou then climbs the stairs to join with stanley, linking their arms together. as they reach the elevators, he bares one last look at gaston, who stands frozen in the middle of the dance floor, watching him. lefou feels tears start to slip down his face, but he does nothing to cover it up. gaston looks equally as sad to see him go, almost as though he may start to cry too. not wanting to see that happen, lefou faces forward again, dreading the moment the elevator dings and he must finally leave the kind man he's grown to care for in his time in new york.


End file.
